About NYCMER
Mission + Values
Mission
NYCMER provides a forum for museum education professionals to address meaningful issues relevant to our work and to exchange and disseminate current information.
Vision
Through innovative programming that responds to current trends in museum education and reflects the global culture of New York City, NYCMER kindles a transformative force of museum professionals.
What we do
We collaboratively develop professional development opportunities for our members and guests such as workshops, roundtable discussions, seminars, symposia, peer groups, and conferences. We promote career development through an active job board, resources, and programming. We advocate for our members, our audiences, museum education, and equity in our field.
NYCMER was founded in 1979 and continues to grow with approximately 400 members from the tri-state area and beyond, representing a variety of disciplines, work settings, roles and career stages.
Love NYCMER?
Since 1979, NYCMER has provided a forum for museum education professionals to address issues of museum and educational interest, exchange and disseminate relevant information, and to explore and implement cooperative programming opportunities through roundtable discussions, workshops, and an annual conference.
NYCMER Board
Board of Trustees
NYCMER is a volunteer run, non-profit organization, led by a board of trustees nominated by members to represent our diverse field.
Elections take place each spring and the results are announced at our annual conference in May. The 2026 Call for Nominations is now open! If you are interested in learning more about the board, please contact nominations@nycmer.org.
NYCMER Board Members, 2025-2026
Officers
Leah Golubchick
President
Jonathan Milard
Vice President
Natalie Aguilar
Secretary & Peer Group Liaison
Veronica Miller
Treasurer
Appointed Trustees
Stephanie Joseph
Archivist
Lillian Young
Job Listings Coordinator
Cait Clemmer
Membership Coordinator
Kaitlin Schmidt
Resources & Social Media Coordinator
Alexia Wang
Event Coordinator
Presley Rodriguez
Website Coordinator
Trustees-at-Large
Annina Christensen
Danny Zeiger
Emily Edmonds-Langham
Jesse Brown
Josue Salazar
Kirstin Clouser
Mackenna Hackimer
Megan Luff
Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli
Rosemary Puckett
Sonya Ochshorn
Yuning Gao
About the NYCMER Board
NYCMER’s governing body is the Board of Trustees, nominated by NYCMER Members and consisting of current NYCMER Members all serving in non-salaried positions. The Board consists of four elected Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary & Peer Groups Liaison, Treasurer); five Appointed Trustees (Archivist, Membership Coordinator, Resources & Social Media Coordinator, Event and Job Listings Coordinator and Website Coordinator); and no fewer than eight elected Trustees-at-Large. No more than three Trustees may have the same full-time institutional affiliation.
The Board's obligation to its members is to govern in a style that embraces and supports diversity on many levels, including but not limited to race, ability, and identity, incorporates a spectrum of perspectives, and emphasizes the importance of equity.
The purposes of the Board as set forth in its 501(c)(3) Certificate of Incorporation are:
- to address issues of museum and educational interest;
- to exchange and disseminate relevant information;
- to explore and implement cooperative programming opportunities through roundtable discussions, workshops, seminars, symposia, professional development series, and conferences; and
- to pursue related charitable, cultural and educational purposes as permitted under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
For more information, please see the NYCMER bylaws.
Board Committees
Current NYCMER Committees
Board committees support the management and long term growth of our organization. Each committee sets specific objectives for themselves and reports to the full Board.
Beyond the committees listed in the NYCMER bylaws, committees are subject to change each year
NYCMER Bylaws
Last year, the Governance Committee updated the NYCMER Bylaws. At the April 7, 2020 Board Meeting, the final iteration of the updated Bylaws was passed, and thereby enacted, by unanimous vote.
Major goals of the revision process included succession planning, reviewing and updating the election process, and inclusivity. Some highlights from each category include:
Succession-Planning
- Increased Trustee-at-Large terms from one-year to two-year commitments with half of the Trustees elected in even calendar years, and half elected in odd calendar years.
- Formalized years in which titled positions are elected, and staggering them to reduce high turnover on any given year.
Election Processes
- Updated language to reflect current elections procedures (e.g., changing snail-mail verbiage to digital distribution).
- Updated candidate requirements and supplemental materials, including position-specific questionnaires.
- Clarified the election timeline.
- Allowed candidates wishing to run for both titled and Trustee-at-Large positions the opportunity to do so.
- Added process for transparency for the Board selecting appointed trustee positions.
Inclusivity
- Use non-gendered pronouns throughout the Bylaws.
- Updated Board representation policies to better account for institutions of all sizes and freelancers.
- Included Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Clauses.
We welcome any questions about the new Bylaws or the process to update them. Reach out at governance@nycmer.org.
Conference Committee
The Conference Committee is chaired by the Vice President, with significant help from the NYCMER Intern. Participation in this committee is open to all members, not just the Board. This committee plans and runs all conference aspects, traditionally including the selection of topic, keynote speaker and venue, the publication of the conference RFP and program, plus the proposal acceptance, conference schedules and activities, after-party, etc.
Communications & Marketing
This committee develops a web and social media communication strategy, including reviewing website and e-blast text and content. The committee will support other committees in their communications strategy, and will pursue opportunities to better engage and elevate members and partners.
Communications & Marketing
This committee develops a web and social media communication strategy, including reviewing website and e-blast text and content. The committee will support other committees in their communications strategy, and will pursue opportunities to better engage and elevate members and partners.
Finance
This committee is responsible for the general planning of the financial affairs of NYCMER, as outlined in the bylaws. The committee is responsible for identifying funding sources beyond typical revenue streams (membership dues, event fees, job postings, etc.) for presentation to the full board. These may include grants, opportunities for individual donations, and sponsorships. The committee tracks grant proposals and reporting. The Treasurer serves as Chair of the Finance Committee.
Governance
This committee assesses the bylaws, policies, and procedures of the organization. The committee makes reports and recommendations on new and evolving best practices that reflect the organization and its members. The committee may also develop a handbook for members, and works with each titled position to create policy and procedures guidelines for succession planning.
Nominations

This committee is tasked with overseeing elections for the Board, as outlined in the bylaws. This work is essential to the sustainability of the organization and to assure members’ trust in the process. While recruitment and outreach happens in the fall, the committee’s workload is generally weighted toward the latter half of the Board year. The Chair for this committee cannot be seeking re-election in the following year. Additionally, the committee has the option of including up to two members who are not currently on the Board or running for election.
Outreach & Recruitment

This committee focuses on developing NYCMER’s membership base and increasing quality job and event postings. The committee seeks to expand and diversify membership and to recruit members for opportunities for deeper engagement in NYCMER. The committee aims to learn about our members and support them.
Strategic Planning

This committee focuses on developing NYCMER’s membership base and increasing quality job and event postings. The committee seeks to expand and diversify membership and to recruit members for opportunities for deeper engagement in NYCMER. The committee aims to learn about our members and support them.
